After Marvel Comics released its much ballyhooed Astonishing X-Men #51 featuring the wedding of gay X-Man Northstar and his longtime boyfriend Kyle, LGBT fans held events at comic book stores (including same-sex weddings) around the country. What went unannounced until the issue came out on Wednesday, according to Comic Book Resources, was the guest star in the issue: New York City's mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as an advertisement that touted New York City as a great place for a destination wedding.

"We've had this partnership with Marvel that goes back to the special edition they did of Peter Parker trying to find a job with some of the city resources that were available," mayoral spokesman Chris Coffey told Comic Book Resources. "The city was really pleased with the partnership and thinks Marvel is a great corporate citizen. And this presented a real interesting way to get a message out to folks.The mayor's office is always talking about how New York is the center of equality and fairness, so this became a terrific way following marriage equality being legal in New York last year that we can show off to lots of people who are New Yorkers and to people who may be interested in getting married who are from other places. This is a terrific message we're proud to be a part of and obviously a terrific platform that the mayor's office of entertainment is thrilled to be a part of."

Coffey also told Comic Book Resources that when Bloomberg was growing up, he would have been been thrilled to discover he'd be immortalized in the comics. "I think it's every kids dream to be characterized in a comic book. There are still times when the mayor looks around and is humbled by things like that."